How to Stop a Dog from Chewing Everything

Why Do Dogs Chew Everything?

Dog chewing can be quite frustrating and downright annoying but regardless of how you might view it, chewing is actually a normal behavior for your dog. For a puppy, chewing is a way to explore their environment just like human toddlers use their hands to learn everything around their house.

Since they don’t have the same hands just like humans, they use their mouths as an investigation tool. Puppy chewing is also a way to learn bite inhibition from an early age which is an important part of his development process.

As for adults, dogs often chew for fun, to relieve boredom, or to relieve stress.

Even though it is normal for your dog to chew, but some dogs can develop destructive chewing behavior.

Destructive Chewing in Dogs

There are many causes that could cause destructive chewing in dogs, but for most dogs, the main culprit for destructive chewing is separation anxiety which could happen when he is left alone for an extended period of time. Some symptoms of separation anxiety include whining, barking, pacing, urination, and restlessness.

A dog is a pack animal and therefore they can’t be left alone for too long. Making sure your dog is well exercised is one proven way to fight boredom and reduce the destructive chewing behavior. The second step is to put the chewing dog in a crate for the times when you are unable to supervise his activity.

Before confining your dog in a crate, make sure you do crate training first to accustom himself. It’s as simple as putting your dog in a crate when he needs to be left alone along with a couple of chew toys and do a quick goodbye, “see you later”.

How to Punish a Dog for Chewing

When you catch your dog chewing inappropriate things, stop it immediately with a verbal command or loud noise. Dogs live in a moment, they don’t have the ability to understand the consequences of his past action and therefore it’s important to discipline your dog immediately right after you catch him in the act. Any scolding given after will have no effect on his future behavior.

Even if your dog looks guilty when you scream at him half an hour after they destroyed your shoes, they would learn nothing except how nuts you could be.

Dog Chewing Shoes When Alone

Dogs find the most intense and attractive odor is their human’ odors and shoes are where they find the most intense human odor. Moreover, shoes are frequently made of leather which is an appealing material for dogs. It reminds them of their prey since dogs are a predator.

How to Stop a Dog from Chewing Shoes

One way to reduce this “dog chewing shoes” problem is by directing this inappropriate chewing behavior toward appropriate dog chew toys. Bear in mind that some dogs chew more strongly than others, such as Pitbulls, Dachshund, and German Shepherd, hence you want to find dog chew toys that are strong enough to withstand their jaws. Some of the best dog chew toys include a stuffed Kong Toy, Benebone Wishbone, and Nylabone.

Dog Chewing Furniture When Left Alone

Wooden furniture can also be similarly appealing to your dog. To reduce this chewing problem, you need to teach your dog it is a bad thing to chew on wooden furniture.

One way to do that is by using bad-tasting repellants and sprays. Bad-tasting repellants and sprays work to correct their inappropriate chewing behavior by associating certain objects with the smells they don’t like. First, apply a small amount to a piece of tissue then allow him to taste it. As they find the taste unpleasant, they might spit it out, shake his head, and drool. At this point, they should have already learned the connection between the taste and the bad odor. Next, just spray the repellants and sprays to all furniture that you don’t want your dog to chew.

Stop Dog Chewing Furniture Home Remedies

Homemade dog repellent sprays are easy to make and one of the most effective ways to keep dogs off the furniture. First, you need to buy a new plastic spray bottle to use for the repellent. Then fills the bottle with scents that dogs hate most. What scents work might differ one from the other you need to do some experimentation to find the best combination that works for your dog.

What Tastes Bad to Dogs

Generally speaking, vinegar, alcohol, and citrus are disliked by almost all dogs. Fill the bottle with vinegar, ammonia, rubbing alcohol, or a lemon juice. Spray the repellent on an around your furniture and see your dog’s reaction. If it doesn’t work out try to blend another scent.

Some dogs are repulsed by essential oils. Some of the most hated scents include Eucalyptus, cinnamon, and sour apple.

And pepper spray could be the last resort after other scents failed. Personally, I don’t like to use pepper spray on my dog, it’s a little bit cruel, nevertheless, it works for many dog owners. It’s easy to make pepper spray, just mix 1 tbsp. of habanero peppers or ground cayenne and spray it on the furniture. Remember pepper spray may stain light-colored fabric couch or sofa, proceed cautiously.

Best Dog Repellent Spray for Furniture

If you don’t have time to make your own homemade dog repellent spray, you can buy store-bought repellent from Amazon. Nowadays, many store-bought repellent products use natural ingredients and contain a non-toxic chemical, so you don’t need to worry the spray will harm your kids or pets.

How to Stop a Dog from Chewing on Wood Trim

Dogs chew on wood trim for the same reason why they chew furniture. The best way to stop a dog from chewing on wood trim is to use dog repellent spray. It’s an ideal way to teach your dog where you let the environment does the correcting. It’s a similar principle with a child touching a hot stove, they will learn themselves not to repeat that behavior.

How to Stop a Dog from Chewing on Wood Fence

Similar to above, dogs chew on a wood fence because they like the texture and the best way to reduce or stop this chewing problem is by using dog repellent spray.

My Dog is Chewing Blanket and Sheet

Dogs chew blanket and sheet for the same reason they chew shoes because they like the smell of their owner’s odors that linger in it. The best way to stop or reduce this chewing behavior is by directing your dog toward appropriate chewing through the help of chew toys.

However, buying your dog chew toys alone won’t solve the problem. It’s up to you to teach your dog to ditch the smelly blanket and sheet in favor of the dog toys. One of the best ways to teach your dog is to use chasing games to reaffirm the connection between the toy and the dog.

Throw the toy and when they play with it you run to snatch it away from your dog, they will run off with it. Do it several times, and your dog will learn that their dog toys are more precious than a blanket and sheet.

How to Stop a Dog from Chewing His Bed

There is nothing more frustrated than buying a hundred dollar worth of bed for your dog only to find it got chewed up a week later. A dog could chew his bed when they feel lonely, bored, stress, or anxious.

In most cases, giving your dog enough exercise is sufficient to reduce many of your dog’s irrational chewing problems. In addition, providing dog chew toys and stuffed animals can help to occupy his mind and relieve his boredom.

If your dog is a heavy chewer, you may want to consider getting chew proof dog bed which has tougher materials and additional layers to withstand his furious jaw.

Why Does My Dog Chew Her Paws?

You ought to be worried when your dog chews her paws often because it could be a sign of some medical problems such as allergies, dry skin, pain, or parasites. When you see your dog chews her paws frequently, it’s best to bring your dog to your veterinarian to rule out the possible medical problems before taking any further action.

Why Does My Dog Chew Her Nails?

Allergy known as Atopy is the number one cause of repeated nail chewing. Atopy may be seasonal or nonseasonal depending on the allergen. Again, if you notice that your dog chews her nails every day, it’s a time to make an appointment with your veterinarian.